Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

I have some very happy news with which to begin this post. Last week I was lucky enough to meet two families who adopted two of our terrific dogs, and I want you to see the happy pre-adoption pictures.

 

 

Bentley

It was love at first dog-sight for this couple who, by the way, had also just gotten engaged earlier in the week.

 

Willow

This couple couldn’t wait to take our sweet Willow home.

 

And now I want to introduce you to three more terrific dogs who are still waiting for their forever homes.

 

 

I arrived at WHS extremely nervous and shy, but look at me now!

When I first met Buster, I felt so sorry for him. He had just been brought in as a stray. People had seen him running around for about three days before a good samaritan was able to bring him to the shelter. Buster was totally overwhelmed and nervous, as you can see by my first pictures of him, which I had to take from quite a distance away, as he didn’t want me close to him.

 

It took several days to convince Buster that we were his friends. He seemed to want to get close to people, but was so timid, he shied away from human touch. Buster is about two years old and a mixed breed boy. Because of his timidity, he is rated for kids about 13 and older. We don’t know anything about Buster’s history, so decided on Sunday to spend some quality time and get to know him. We were happily surprised by what we learned about him. While we could not get even a little relaxed smile, he let us know in other ways that he is becoming comfortable with us. Since Ayla had spent the most time with him, he warmed up to her immediately.

 

We took him into a yard to see if he wanted to play. While he didn’t play fetch, he enjoyed running back and forth to us.

 

Since he was feeling more and more comfortable, we took him into Mary’s Place and that was when he fully relaxed.

 

Then this happened. Turns out he DOES like toys!

 

After playing, Buster was happy to settle down again.

 

 

Like so many shelter dogs, Buster just needs a little time to get to know his friends. We are hoping that a family with a little patience and a lot of love will find Buster and take him home.

 

 

 

 

I may be eight, but boy did I have the photo team fooled!

Tyson is an eight-year-old Boxer/Rhodesian Ridgeback mix. When we first met him a couple of weeks ago, he seemed old and sad. Boy, were we wrong.

Tyson has lived with the same family his whole life, but because he can get ear infections and has some skin allergies, the family could no longer afford to take care of him. Since being at WHS, medication has done the trick and his coat is healthy and sleek. He will need to be monitored by his next family to catch the allergies early should they crop up.

Since we had not spent much time with Tyson except to take his profile pictures, we took him into Mary’s Place, thinking he would not be very active. We were amazed and delighted to discover behind that graying muzzle is a puppy who loves toys!

 

So here’s the scoop on this wonderful dog. Tyson has lived with other dogs, but would need to meet any dog siblings he might have in his new family. He finds cats too much fun to chase, so needs a feline-free home. He has a great history with children and is rated for kids about eight or older. He knows several commands including sit, down, stay, speak, come, and shake (with either paw!).

 

 

Tyson is afraid of loud noises such as fireworks and thunder. He is also afraid of water. He has never destroyed anything in the house when left alone, however he does cry some, so a family who isn’t gone a lot would be perfect for our boy. When strangers come to the door, he will bark, but then let them pet him. Of course he is house-trained, has been for years. He enjoys car rides and walks in the neighborhood. He walks nicely on leash. Marianne, Megan, Ayla, and I had so much fun with him in Mary’s Place. His two favorite toys were the GFB (Giant Fluff Ball) and the plush lamb.

 

 

We decided to take him outside and see if he liked playing fetch. He did!

Tyson LOVES plush toys!

 

Tyson can’t wait to find his active retirement home. While he loved to romp out in the yard, he was ready to come back in and relax after about fifteen minutes. After all, he’s not a youngster anymore.

He’s hoping his forever family will come soon.

 

 

 

 

I’m back. I know my just-right home is out there somewhere, if we can only find it. Are you a homebody? So am I!

Pepper is a six-year-old Australian Cattle Dog mix. She arrived at WHS in May of 2019 after her person died. I wrote about her in my July 31 post and made a movie about her since she became one of our long-termers. She was finally adopted in August. She was surrendered recently because she and the other dog in the home were not getting along. So we now are looking for a home where Pepper is the only pet. Here she was on Sunday.

 

 

Pepper is looking for a special family who is understanding and patient. She would love to live in a quiet home with a backyard where she could hang out. Pepper is not a clingy dog, but is happy to be with her peeps. She is very treat-motivated, cheese being one of her top five favorite treats. She walks well on leash and once relaxed, has a beautiful smile. Pepper would like a family where there is someone home most of the time, as she can be anxious when left alone. She is nervous around new people, especially children, so needs a family with teens 15 or older. She can be somewhat handling-sensitive, especially around her head. Once she relaxed in Mary’s Place, she was eager for cheese bits and liked being close to us.

 

 

 

Pepper has some resource-guarding issues of both food and toys, another reason she has go to a home with older teens or just adults. We found, however, that she is very willing to trade a toy for a cheese bit, and takes treats gently.

Pepper is not the dog for everyone. But she would be a wonderful companion for a couple who do not get a lot of company, who like just to stay home and hang out with a dog.

Here is the movie I made about her last July.

 

We hope just the right people will find Pepper and give her the home she needs.

 

 

We have two wonderful updates this week!

Pugsly and Wilbur/Winston

Pugsly was adopted by Pam and Tom on November 16, 2015. Here’s a picture I took of him at WHS before he went home.

 

Here is Pugsly today.

 

Recently Pam and Tom came back to WHS to add to their family. They fell in love with Wilbur. Here he was with Marianne in Mary’s Place before he went home.

 

Wilbur is now a brother to Pugsly and canine sister, Suzie. I was so happy to get this update from Pam last week.

“I wanted you to know that a week ago last Monday my husband and I adopted Wilbur. We had come in on four separate occasions to look at him. We were hoping he was going to want to be with us. He did not act very excited, so we went home Sunday after we had put a hold on him. We talked it over and said we both wanted him so much, but we wanted him to be happy. 

Well, even if I do say so myself, he is extremely happy. From the first night we brought him home until this moment as he’s lying in my arms, he has been such a wonderful dog. He loves our little Pugsly and Susie and he loves us. He is the best dog we could have ever asked for. I just wish there was some way I could shout to the world don’t ever give up on a shelter dog! They can be the most wonderful dogs in the world.

You know when we adopted Pugsly, I was thrilled. He was and still is the sweetest boy. He is my little snuggler. Winston is different. He loves to run and play. When he is tired, he comes up and snuggles with me and or my husband, Tom. 

I could go on and on. We feel so blessed and so lucky that Wilbur/Winston is ours. He fits in our family just like he has always been there.”

 

 

 

Skye

Skye came to WHS from our sister shelter in Maui on January 25, 2019.

 

She had been diagnosed with bilateral luxating patellas, meaning her kneecaps didn’t stay in their correct position and she had some arthritis, as well. She didn’t need surgery yet, but might down the road. We worried about her getting adopted, but were thrilled when she was taken home just two days after her arrival. However, Skye turned out not to like the cat in the home and was quickly returned to us. And then the long wait began. Skye did her best to look appealing to potential adopters, leaning against the front of her kennel for pets. But no one took her home.

She dressed up and posed for Valentine’s Day pictures, but still no one took her home.

 

As the weeks went by, Skye became more and more stressed and started to become jumpy and mouthy. We worried even more and staff tried to find a rescue that would take her, without luck. Then finally, almost seven months after she first arrived, on July 27th, her forever family came to the shelter, fell in love with our challenging girl and took her home. Since that time, those of us who loved Skye often thought about her and hoped that she was happy. I was thrilled when last week I got this update.

“Hi. My wife and I enjoy your articles and reading all about dogs that come thru WHS.  We are the women who adopted baby Skye in late July of last year. She is a fantastic dog, and she has our house and yard to explore and play in. I spend pretty much all day every day with her, and we go for at least one half hour of cardio-paced walk every day, plus zoomies and wrestling and silliness every day. My wife adores her, too, and Skye adores her right back. We’re so grateful to have her in our lives and can’t imagine her not being here.  Thank you for all you did for her and the other dogs who need help. I’ve attached what my wife and I think is the absolute quintessential spirit of Skye picture, and a couple others.”

 

We are grateful for all of our adopters, and we are especially grateful for adopters who take on a challenging dog and give them a joyful life.

On that happy note, that’s it for this week.

 

 

All of the dogs I have featured today, along with other terrific dogs waiting to be adopted, can be found at Willamette Humane Society. Here is the link to the adoptable-dog page:

https://whs4pets.org/adopt-a-pet/dogs-2/

Remember, if you see a dog on my blog whom you are interested in meeting, try to make arrangements to get to the Willamette Humane Society soon. Some dogs are adopted more quickly than you might think.

You can reach me at  adoptanoregondog14@yahoo.com

 

Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

This week I’m going to tell you about a terrific adoption and feature three wonderful dogs who are looking for special homes to meet their individual needs.

 

Bonnie was surrendered at the end of January. She was very shy and fearful at first, but gradually started trusting shelter people and we all fell in love with her. She needed a family with a farm and she needed a job. Megan was especially smitten and spent as much time as she could with Bonnie.

 

We worried about Bonnie finding the home that she needed. But we didn’t need to. A couple saw her on the WHS website and came to meet her. They were instantly captivated by her gentle temperament and put her on hold to go home with them as soon as she was spayed. Best news of all was that they live on a farm with lots of jobs for a dog like Bonnie. Last Sunday they happened to come to visit Bonnie while I was at the shelter. They took her home on Thursday.

Bonnie got her perfect fit of a family and home.

 

 

 

I’m not a youngster anymore but I promise to do my best to make you happy.

Nestle is an eight-year-old Lab mix. This is his second time at WHS; he first came in March 2018, found as a stray. He was such a good sport for my St. Patrick’s Day post that year.

 

Nestle was adopted, but as can happen as we age, he developed some arthritis and some lumps and became less patient with children. So now he needs a retirement home where there are no kids, although older teens would be fine. On Sunday we took him outside to pose for some new pictures with Marianne.

Nestle is dog-selective, meaning he likes some dogs and doesn’t care for others, so would need to meet any dog he will be living with. He does not like to be bothered while he is eating. In his former home, he followed his person around the house, just wanting to be near him. He can be wary of strangers, but warms up quickly. He can be too excited by cats, so would do best in a feline-free home. His personality in his former home was very mellow, preferring to be in the house rather than outside. He has never been taught to walk well on leash, so does pull some. But since he loves cheese and is highly food-motivated, teaching him better leash manners won’t be difficult. In the spirit of full disclosure, when left alone in the house, Nestle will investigate the garbage if it’s left out. He doesn’t especially like to ride in cars, as he is really a homebody. So if you are wanting an uncomplicated dog whose idea of fun is to stay home with his people and watch Netflix together, Nestle may be your perfect fit.

On Sunday we took him into Mary’s Place and found he is as cooperative as ever. He really is happiest when he’s hanging out with people who love him, including Marianne, Ayla, and me.

 

He has some unexplained scarring on his nose, but since he doesn’t have a clue it’s there, we didn’t bring it up.

 

Nestle has been patiently waiting for his retirement family since January 28th. We’re hoping his wait will be over soon.

 

 

 

Like to laugh? They say I’m a hoot. I just like to have fun and I need a home. How about yours?

Apache is a one-year-old happy-go-lucky, the glass-is-half-full American Bulldog mix. This young boy has a terrific sense of humor which kept us in stitches on Sunday afternoon, both out in the big yard and in Mary’s Place. He also has a typical expression-filled Bulldog face along with his stubby, muscular body.

 

 

Apache hasn’t found his right fit of a home yet, though he has been adopted twice. We now know he needs to be in a cat-free home (they are too much fun to chase) and a home with no small children; teens 15 and older would be fine. Apache is still a youngster with a few things to learn through reward-based training, which he loves. He is so enthusiastic about people and life, that he can get jumpy and grabby when he’s excited. He is also not fully house-trained (but close) and will dash out of a door if it’s open, since he’s always eager for new adventures. But even with his youthful quirks, he is such a fun dog to have around. Both of his former families said he was mostly well-behaved.

The sun was out on Sunday afternoon, so off we went to the big yard to see if Apache played fetch. He does…sort of.

But even though Apache doesn’t quite yet understand the principles of fetch, he just loved racing around the yard, especially when Megan ran with him.

 

After all that running…

Then it was time to take some shots with Apache and his fans, Marianne, Ayla, and Megan.

Finally we went into Mary’s Place and Apache discovered some plush toys that he loved.

 

Apache is not the right dog for every family. But for a family with dog experience, who loves exuberant, clownish characters, he will be the perfect new family member. We all hope that special family reads this post.

 

 

 

I may take a little time to get to know you, but I’m worth it!

Willow is a beautiful two-year-old Rottweiler mix who arrived at the shelter in early January. She was surrendered because her family’s circumstances changed and they could no longer keep her. The shelter was a very scary place to her at first, and she took some time to adjust to all the new faces. For a while, only staff worked with her. Here she was with staff member Oz, the first time I met her.

 

I was excited when volunteers got to work with her, too. Here she is with Megan on Sunday.

 

We decided to take her outside and see if she would like to run. She did. While she wasn’t interested in playing fetch, she did enjoy the freedom of the yard and the fact I had cheese bits.

She had fun running with Megan.

Willow has come so far since her arrival at the shelter. She has become much more relaxed around people she meets for the first time and warms up quickly. She is rated for kids about thirteen and older. She is house-trained (was loose in the house when her family was gone and used a dog door). She walks pretty well on leash, takes treats gently, and she loves cheese. She has a good history with teenagers in her former home. She has even lived with two cats. She would do best as an only dog in the home, as she has not been very comfortable meeting other dogs in our playgroups. While she can get excited, her family reported that Willow was pretty laid back most of the time. She enjoys car rides and knows basic commands. We all have become fans of this sweet girl who just needs a little time to adjust to new environments. We decided to take her into Mary’s Place and see if she wanted to play with any toys. She was more interested in just snuggling with us.

 

However, she did like the little yellow plush toy.

 

Willow is being shown by our training department. Please submit your adoption questionnaire and allow them to contact you for an appointment to meet her. You can get an application here. Willow is going to make such a wonderful companion for a lucky family.

 

 

 

If you read last week’s blog post, you know that to everyone’s delight, our long-termer Toby was adopted.

I’m very happy to report that I got an update soon after Toby went home.

“Toby is being a sweet baby. He’s still real scared of other dogs, but he loves people. So we’re working on his confidence and trying to teach him some basic cues so he can focus on us while we’re on walks. He’s extremely treat-motivated so he’s been doing quite well. We found out his favorite treat is bananas when he munched a piece right out of Mike’s hand. I think it’s safe to say he’s definitely not shy anymore, just a bit nervous. I attached a picture of him being a total bed hog. We decided we don’t want to deny him the luxury sleeping on the bed with us, so he gets the whole foot of the bed. It makes me so sad to think that he spent all that time at the shelter, and there really wasn’t anyone that was a good match for him. At the same time though, we really lucked out and we got ourselves a perfect dog.”

 

On that happy note, that’s it for this week!

 

All of the dogs I have featured today, along with other terrific dogs waiting to be adopted, can be found at Willamette Humane Society. Here is the link to the adoptable-dog page:

https://whs4pets.org/adopt-a-pet/dogs-2/

Remember, if you see a dog on my blog whom you are interested in meeting, try to make arrangements to get to the Willamette Humane Society soon. Some dogs are adopted more quickly than you might think.

You can reach me at  adoptanoregondog14@yahoo.com